Caroline's Critical Resource Essay

Gender is Not The Same As Sex

Sex and gender are not synonyms. A newborn’s sex, based on their genitalia, does not determine their gender. However, not everyone agrees with this; they think that sex and gender are the same concept. In this essay, I will agree with the author of this article and argue that gender is defined as “the complex interrelationship between three dimensions: body, identity, and social gender” (Prismic). While some claim that the idea of gender identity beyond male and female is an example of mental illness, the sex that an individual is assigned at birth does not determine their gender. An individual’s sex is based on their physical genitalia, their gender is determined by their internal experience, and many societies have viewed gender as a spectrum throughout history.

The body, the experience an individual has in their body, how society assigns genders to our bodies, and how others interact with us based on our bodies is the first dimension of gender. Most cultures and societies view sex as a black and white concept with two options: male and female. However, “the relationship between a person’s gender and their body goes beyond one’s reproductive functions” (Prismic). Furthermore, humans can be born with both genitalia, which is referred to as being intersex. What gender would that child be assigned? This intersex reality directly negates the argument that there are only two biological genders. “Intersex traits demonstrate that sex exists across a continuum of possibilities” (Prismic). Some may say that individuals who are one sex but identify as a different gender are experiencing the mental health issue of gender dysphoria, but identifying as a gender that differs from their sex is not a mental health issue. An individual’s sex is based on their physical genitalia, but their gender is not.

Identity is the second dimension that makes up gender. “Gender is determined by [an individual’s] internal experience” (Prismic). Most children have a sense of their gender identity by the age of four. Gender identity can align with or differ from the sex we were given at birth based on our genitalia. The idea that only two genders - male and female - exist is the concept of gender binary. “Research increasingly points to our brains as playing a key role in how we each experience our gender” (Prismic). An individual could have been assigned the female sex at birth, but later realize during puberty that they identify more as a boy than as a girl. Identity has to do with the experience that an individual has in their own body.

Some may argue against the concept of gender identity by saying that gender as a dichotomy is the way it has always been. However, throughout history, “many societies have seen gender as a spectrum” (Prismic). For example, in India, “Hijras” are recognized as a third gender, and are considered neither completely male or female. These individuals have been recorded since antiquity. In Native American societies, specific language for individuals who identified as a third and even fourth gender was developed. And lastly, in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, five genders have been accepted throughout their history.

In conclusion, every being can identify themselves with gender that they feel rings true for them. This identity can differ or align with their physical genitalia. Societies throughout history have acknowledged that there are more than two genders. Therefore, sex and gender are not the same concept.

Word count: 564

Prismic. (n.d.). Understanding Gender. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://genderspectrum.org/articles/understanding-gender

Tharp, A. N. (n.d.). Gender Spectrum Theory. Gender Spectrum Theory. doi:9/11/2020